[u]Part 9[/u]
Liz stared at Will in open-mouthed astonishment. "You're crazy," she finally whispered, her heart beating a nervous tattoo against her chest. "I'm not your wife. I'm a human. You've made a mistake Will." If there was one thing she knew it was that. He [I]had[/I] to be mistaken - or lying. What game was he playing? This was obviously some gigantic ruse Max's enemies had devised with to torture him. There was no other explanation.
Max would [I]not[/I] be hurt again. Not if she had anything to say about it. She felt her spine stiffening as she prepared to accuse him of being the liar she knew he was.
And, yet, she found herself fascinated at the same time. She wanted to hear more, wanted to see how far he would take this. She stared into his eyes and the familiarity she had felt since she had first seen him ran through her again.
Will was obviously trying to get control of his emotions. "You don't remember anything. I know it's true but it's so hard to accept, because I remember it all." He paused, rubbed a hand across his eyes. "I'm sorry I yelled." He lowered himself onto the bed again. "Can I just ask you a couple of questions?"
Liz narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"
"Because I think you might find it easier to hear the truth if you think about some stuff first."
She stared at him, her mind whirling in a thousand different directions. Her heart was still pounding, but she was not going to waste this opportunity. She needed to find out as much as she could - for Max's sake. "Okay. But first I want to ask [I]you[/I] a few things."
Will started, then grinned. Liz could not believe it. Why was he suddenly [I]amused[/I]? "Why am I not surprised?" He asked.
"What?" Liz demanded, a little annoyed.
"You haven't changed at all. Strange things never frightened you. You always just wanted to know [I]more[/I] about them." He shook his head. "And, trust me, I know this is strange."
Liz grimaced at the fairly accurate description of her character. But she didn't comment, just asked, "Why do you hate Max?"
Will's eyes darkened but he answered readily enough, "Because he was a tyrant who destroyed our galaxy."
Liz blinked. "You [I]knew[/I] him? Before I mean?" She felt her heart leap with joy for Max. All the answers they had been chasing after for months were suddenly right at her fingertips. But the expression on Will's face quickly reminded her that he [I]hated[/I] Max. There was no way of knowing if he was telling the truth.
"Certainly," Will replied. "We were never close friends, but we did communicate regularly, especially after we both took our respective thrones."
"Why were you allied with a tyrant?" Liz asked logically.
"Tradition. Antar has always held the high kingship of the system." Will shook his head. "The kings and queens of Antar have always ruled fairly and wisely. It was only when Zan took the throne that things changed."
"Changed how?"
"He wanted more power. He tried to depose the rulers of the four other planets, hoping to set up puppets in their place. Basically he intended to change the whole status quo. He wanted control of my planet - Sardica - in particular. Sardica is the centre of commerce for the system. Zan didn't like that. He always felt that it should be Antar and, if it couldn't be, then he wanted Sardica more closely under his thumb." Will straightened his spine. "The kings of Sardica have always been their own rulers though. We resisted the controls he tried to impose."
"So you rebelled?"
"Yes. Another planet - yours - joined us. It made sense of course. We were already allied through our marriage. Zan destroyed Valonia, your home, and made his move on Sardica. We managed to repel them for several months, but, in the end, we had to surrender."
"Why?"
"Because he captured you," Will's voice cracked. "You went up to his ship to parlay for peace and he broke all the codes of warfare that have governed our galaxy since the beginning of time. He held you captive and I was forced to hand over the government of Sardica."
Liz swallowed. The bleakness in his tone made her pity him, despite herself. "Why are you so positive that I'm who you say I am?" She asked, shaking her head firmly to erase her sympathy for him. "I'm telling you, I have [I]always[/I] been Liz Parker. I was [I]born[/I] Liz Parker. My parents even have pictures from the delivery room."
"You [I]are[/I] Rowena," Will replied firmly. "My cousin has the gift of reading essences. It is a vital power - one that we have used many times to identify our enemies. He read yours in the imprint you left in Copper Summit when you were there with Zan. I don't know how to explain how you ended up with the Parkers. You were obviously removed from your pod early for some reason I don't understand."
Liz stared at him, disbelieving, but willing to humor him for the moment. "You came out of a pod too?"
"Yes. Kate and I are hybrids - half-human, half-Sardican."
"And you think I am as well," Liz finished for him when he trailed off.
"Yes. Well, half-human, half-Valonian. " He paused. "Do you think I can ask you some of [I]my[/I] questions now?"
Liz frowned. "No, I'm not done." Will looked amused again, which only irritated her. She thought for a moment. "How did this whole podding thing come about in the first place?"
Will sighed. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say, we won. Zan died but his mother refused to accept that his reign of terror was over so she cloned him, intending that he would be podded until maturity and that he would one day retake the Antarian throne. She combined his DNA with that of some human samples they had in their possession and sent him to Earth to keep him a secret."
"But why are [I]you[/I] here?" Liz asked. "If you won, why didn't you stay and rule."
"I had well placed spies," Will said. "One of them contacted me and we sent in a team to retrieve the pods and to stop the plot." He closed his eyes. "We were too late though. And it was much worse than we could have imagined. She hadn't only cloned Zan. She had also cloned his sister Vilandra, Zan's wife and Vilandra's husband as well."
"Isabel, Michael and Tess?" Liz felt her heart drop at the confirmation that Max had indeed been married to Tess in his past life. She wondered why it [I]still[/I] hurt so much. She had known it for months now and, yet, she could not accept it.
"Yes, those are their names, according to Nicholas."
Liz started. "[I]Nicholas![/I] What does [I]he[/I] have to do with any of this?"
Will looked startled. "Oh, I thought you knew. Nicholas works for me."
She stumbled to her feet, away from him. "What? He tried to kill Isabel! He ordered all those Skins to hurt Max!"
"They are his enemies Liz," Will replied mildly. "He was only doing it to protect my people."
"The Skins are [I]your[/I] people?" Liz gasped, horrified. "They're horrible! Murderers! They killed Nasedo!"
"Who's Nasedo?" Will asked, confused.
"He's their protector. He was the only one who could help them to find out who they are!" Liz exclaimed. "A Skin disguised herself as a congresswoman and she killed him."
"Wait a minute." Will held up his hands. "What do you mean he was the only one who could help them find out who they are?" He stared at her. "Are you trying to tell me that they don't know?"
"They know they're aliens, but they have no idea about all this past life stuff. I swear it. Whoever you think Max and the others were in their past lives, whatever they did, they can't be held responsible for it now! They don't remember," Liz insisted.
Will looked stunned. "How is this possible?" He muttered, clearly confused. "Are you sure? How do you know this?"
Liz wilted slightly as she thought about all she and Max had shared through the flashes that were unique to their relationship. She knew everything about him because of those flashes. It was one of the reasons it was so hard to let him go. She truly knew how wonderful he was and also knew that she would never find anyone like him again. "We've connected," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I've seen his soul and it's beautiful. He's not evil. He could never [I]be[/I] evil."
"Then you must believe me! About who you are Liz! If you've managed a connection with Zan, you must understand that you aren't completely human." Will sounded excited. "That is your gift you know - the ability to see people clearly - to judge them by connecting with them."
Liz shook her head. "You don't understand Will. My ability to connect with Max has nothing to do with alien DNA. I could never do it before."
"Before what?"
"Before he saved my life," Liz told him quietly. "If it wasn't for Max Evans I would have died more than a year ago."
Will stared at her in shock. "[I]What?[/I] Oh my God! Ro!" He moved towards her, grasped her by the upper arms. "Are you trying to tell me that I almost lost you before I even found you?"
Liz flinched away from him. "Don't call me that! I am [I]not[/I] this Rowena. My name is Liz Parker and the only reason I have any sort of alien power at all is because of Max Evans. Don't you understand? I love him! And he has loves me - or at least he used to. He loved me for his entire life! If I was his enemy, how could that even be possible? He has always been with Isabel, but he recognized Michael and Tess almost immediately upon knowing them. If I was an alien too, wouldn't he have known?"
"How could he have known the others if he doesn't remember anything?" Will asked, ignoring the main part of her speech, which annoyed Liz. But as his words penetrated her irritation, she realized what she had just said.
[I]Max Evans had loved her for his entire life.[/I]
She blinked. "He just [I]did[/I]," she murmured. Her mind was whirling, memories of the first connection she had ever made with Max flying through her head. She remembered how special and beautiful she had felt because that's how [I]he[/I] had seen her. But she also remembered how Max had [I]loved[/I] her from the moment he had laid eyes on her as a little boy on that playground. She had been unaware of him, but in that connection she had [I]felt[/I] how he had felt on that day.
He hadn't just [I]loved[/I] her. He had [I]recognized[/I] her. The realization slammed into her, making her knees weak. She stumbled to a chair in the corner of the room, collapsed into it, staring at Will.
"Oh my God."
"Liz, what?" Will was crouching in front of her, worry in his blue eyes. "What's wrong?"
"He [I]knew[/I] me," Liz whispered. "And he got it all mixed up. He was only a little boy. Of course he wouldn't have any idea that he was supposed to hate me."
"Liz! Please!"
Liz swallowed, her heart pounding in disbelief. As she looked at Will, she narrowed her eyes, tried to [I]remember[/I] him. She tried to remember [I]anything[/I]. She tried but all she encountered were all the memories she had always had - of growing up in Roswell, of discovering that aliens were real, of falling in love with Max Evans, of giving him up and breaking her own heart in the process. She only had memories of [I]being[/I] Liz Parker.
Yet, as she stared at Will, she [I]knew[/I] it with every part of her being. She knew that he was telling her the truth.
She was not human. And, in that moment, Liz could think of only one thing to do. She screamed.
************************************************************
Kate nearly jumped out her skin when she heard movement behind her. She had been sitting on the end of the bed, staring off into space, wondering how they had ended up in such a mess when Alex Whitman's voice penetrated her thoughts. "Where am I?" His throat sounded scratchy, like he needed a glass of water. She jumped to her feet and poured him one from the bottle sitting near the television.
Rowena's friend had been unconscious for so long, Kate had been extremely worried. The last thing they wanted to do was to hurt innocent bystanders. That was more Zan's style and they had always done everything in their power to make sure they were nothing like Zan. Kate wasn't even sure why she had brought the tall, dark-haired boy with them when she had teleported Liz and Will out of the school. She could have easily left him behind after all. There had been no [I]need[/I] to bring him.
As she handed him the glass of water, she watched him take a sip, wondered how he was going to react when he realized what had happened to him. She and Will had discussed the matter at length after they had brought Liz and Alex to the motel on the highway leading out of Roswell. They weren't sure how much Alex knew. Will had called Nicholas to find out if he had been in Copper Summit. As far as their general recalled, he hadn't. But, according to Will, it was also clear that Alex Whitman was one of Liz's closest friends. It seemed unlikely that he didn't at least know [I]something[/I] about Zan and the others.
In the end, they had decided to keep him with them, if only to make sure Zan stayed away. Alex might lead their enemy right to them. Will had also thought that it might make Rowena feel more secure to have someone she trusted around. Kate had pressed her lips together. All Will cared about at the moment was Rowena and [I]her[/I] feelings. He didn't seem to have grasped at all that they had come face to face with Zan and Vilandra and that they had [I]won[/I]. Even though Zan had a complete four square, he had not been able to stop them from taking Rowena.
Kate didn't understand it at all. It made no sense to her. Did they not know how powerful they were? She could not remember a single time that Zan had ever been on the [I]defensive[/I]. Even when he had died, he had been on the attack. But that's what had happened this time. Zan had barely managed to protect himself and Vilandra from Will's assault. He had had no chance of saving Rowena. What could it possibly mean?
Kate continued to eye Alex. Could he tell her more about the four they had come to Roswell to defeat once and for all? Was he loyal to them? Did he even [I]know[/I] about the existence of aliens?
Well, if he hadn't known before, he certainly knew something now, she reflected wryly. She remembered the way he had offered to help her that morning, not even knowing her or what was upsetting her. As she stared at him now, she could see that he did not look frightened at all - merely resigned.
"Are you feeling okay?" She asked tentatively, not sure what to say to him.
"I could use a little of Max's healing touch," Alex replied. At the confused look Kate was sure crossed her face, he added, "I have a headache." So he knew Zan was a healer, which meant he likely [I]did[/I] know all about the others. "And I'm worried about Liz. Is she okay?"
"She's fine. She's with Will." Kate grimaced. "He's telling her the truth."
"What is the truth?" Alex asked quietly. "Who are you? I know you're aliens."
Kate's eyes widened that he stated it so bluntly. "You don't seem shocked."
"I've been caught in the alien abyss for too long to be shocked by anything anymore," Alex said wryly. "I'm not even scared, which I know is stupid. I've just come to accept that this is what my life is going to be like from now on. No control - ever." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "You're not going to kill me, are you?"
"NO!" Kate exclaimed, horrified. "We don't do that!"
"You were trying to kill Max and Isabel," Alex reminded her. "Why should I doubt that you would do the same to me?"
"Zan is evil!" Kate replied heatedly. "He deserves to be killed. And Vi has obviously lost whatever courage she once had. She isn't defying him any longer."
Alex's eyes flashed, uncomprehending for a moment. "You mean Max and Isabel? Those are their real names, aren't they?" He paused and then his face whitened. "Are they dead? Did you kill them?"
"No. We should have," Kate muttered. "We had the upper hand. But Will wanted to get Liz out of there." She started, realized that she had said more than she had meant to. Why did she feel it was so easy to open up to this boy? He was listening quietly. She could almost see his mind at work. She pressed her lips together, determined that she would say no more.
Alex closed his eyes wearily. "Why? What does he want with Liz? Is he trying to torture Max? Is that it?" He opened his eyes and looked directly at her. "Because it won't work. They're not together anymore."
Kate could tell he was lying. He did not do it gracefully. His cheeks were turning a charming shade of red and she could see a nervous pulse beating through the vein on his neck. Zan would obviously care that Rowena had been taken. In fact, it sounded like they had been a couple. She couldn't believe Zan's gall. He had seduced Rowena without even telling her who she really was! It was even more despicable than what he had done in his past life. At least then he had only killed her. This time he was using her first.
"They were together?" Kate asked, wanting confirmation that any honour she had, perhaps, in her weaker moments, thought Zan still possessed was non- existent.
Alex snorted. "Oh yeah." He rolled his eyes. "As my friend Maria would say, they had the whole "staring into your eyes soul mate thing" going on." He paused, grimacing. "Not that they do [I]anymore[/I]," he continued hastily. "Like I said, they broke up. So you can just let Liz and I go." He stood up slowly. "Because, really, I just think this is all a big mistake."
Kate pressed her hands together. This boy - he truly did not seem to know what Zan and the others were really like. He was their [I]friend[/I]. How could she just let him go without telling him the truth, without warning him that any association with the Royal Four would just end in disaster?
"Alex, how did you find out about Zan and the others?" She asked bluntly. He turned to look at her, his eyes unreadable.
"Why do you think they're evil?" He asked back. "Because they're not. They're my friends." He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't think [I]you're[/I] evil either. Shouldn't you guys be working together?"
"Work with Zan! You must be crazy!" Kate exclaimed. She paused when he just looked at her, frowning. "Why don't you think I'm evil?''
"I'm a good judge of character," Alex replied. He paused. "Plus you're not leaving pieces of your skin all over the place," he added, "Which means you're not a Skin."
Kate's eyes widened. "What do you know about the Skins?" She asked. She felt a lump entering her throat at the thought of her poor people. Her poor people who were dying slowly but surely, the Earth's atmosphere killing them because they couldn't go home.
"They're killers," Alex said evenly. "They killed Nasedo and one of them almost killed Tess and Isabel."
"Nasedo?"
"Their protector - a shapeshifter." Alex offered.
Kate sighed. "So it is true then. The Wendarians did join with Zan." She shook her head. "We were never sure." She frowned. "I wonder why Nicholas didn't tell us this."
"Huh?"
"The Wendarians," Kate explained. "They are the shapeshifters in our galaxy. They are from Wendar. Just as I am from Sardica and your [I]friends[/I],"she couldn't keep the disdain from her voice, "Are from Antar." She paused. "Well, not Rath. He's from Valonia, but he has always pretended to be Antarian. Ever since he married Vi."
"Ooookay." Alex let out a long breath, stood up and started to pace. "You know, I think I'm starting to panic now. I [I]knew[/I] I was way too calm before." Kate watched him in amazement as he began to melt down right in front of her. "I think I was in shock." He was muttering to himself, clearly looking for an explanation. She blinked when he stopped pacing his erratic movements abruptly and stared right at her. "You really do hate my friends, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"They are evil."
Alex grimaced. "I'm telling you. They're not. I know them. They don't even [I]know[/I] who they are! You just gave me more information than they've managed to uncover in ten years!"
Kate stared at him. "What are you saying? You're trying to tell me that they don't remember?" She snorted. "Right. Then why is Zan using Rowena if he doesn't know? He would have no reason to pretend to love her if he didn't know who she was."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Alex demanded, staring openly at her. "Who is Rowena?"
A piercing scream interrupted Kate before she could tell him. She watched Alex's eyes widen. "Liz!" He turned on his heel and bolted for the door before Kate could stop him.
By the time she caught up with him, he was already pounding on the door to the room across the hall - the room where Will was talking to Liz. "Let me in dammit! Liz!"
The door flew open suddenly and Kate watched in astonishment as Liz threw herself at her friend. "Alex! We need to get out of here. I'm telling you. We [I]need[/I] to."
Alex rubbed her back in comfort but glared over her dark head at Will. "What did you do to her? I thought you didn't hurt people?" He looked back at Kate accusingly. "Isn't that what you said?"
"You told her then?" Kate asked Will wryly.
Will sighed. "She didn't believe me right away but then I think she remembered something." He was upset, that was clear, but Kate thought it was more because he didn't know how to calm Liz down than because of [I]why[/I] she was upset.
"What did you tell her?" Alex demanded. Liz had gone completely silent by now. Kate stared at her as she clutched at Alex's shirt as though trying to crawl into his skin. It was beyond disturbing. "It's okay Liz! I'm here." He paused, glared at both Will and Kate in turn. "You know what? Forget it! I don't care. You can take your damn alien feud and shove it. I'm getting Liz out of her."
Kate was beyond surprised when Will allowed Alex to take Liz by the hand and lead her away.
"They're going to go straight to Zan," Kate told him. "We should go after them."
Will narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so." He pressed his lips together.
"Will, this is a [I]bad[/I] idea."
"Give her time." And with that, her brother re-entered his room and slammed the door in Kate's face.
To be continued.
Liz stared at Will in open-mouthed astonishment. "You're crazy," she finally whispered, her heart beating a nervous tattoo against her chest. "I'm not your wife. I'm a human. You've made a mistake Will." If there was one thing she knew it was that. He [I]had[/I] to be mistaken - or lying. What game was he playing? This was obviously some gigantic ruse Max's enemies had devised with to torture him. There was no other explanation.
Max would [I]not[/I] be hurt again. Not if she had anything to say about it. She felt her spine stiffening as she prepared to accuse him of being the liar she knew he was.
And, yet, she found herself fascinated at the same time. She wanted to hear more, wanted to see how far he would take this. She stared into his eyes and the familiarity she had felt since she had first seen him ran through her again.
Will was obviously trying to get control of his emotions. "You don't remember anything. I know it's true but it's so hard to accept, because I remember it all." He paused, rubbed a hand across his eyes. "I'm sorry I yelled." He lowered himself onto the bed again. "Can I just ask you a couple of questions?"
Liz narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"
"Because I think you might find it easier to hear the truth if you think about some stuff first."
She stared at him, her mind whirling in a thousand different directions. Her heart was still pounding, but she was not going to waste this opportunity. She needed to find out as much as she could - for Max's sake. "Okay. But first I want to ask [I]you[/I] a few things."
Will started, then grinned. Liz could not believe it. Why was he suddenly [I]amused[/I]? "Why am I not surprised?" He asked.
"What?" Liz demanded, a little annoyed.
"You haven't changed at all. Strange things never frightened you. You always just wanted to know [I]more[/I] about them." He shook his head. "And, trust me, I know this is strange."
Liz grimaced at the fairly accurate description of her character. But she didn't comment, just asked, "Why do you hate Max?"
Will's eyes darkened but he answered readily enough, "Because he was a tyrant who destroyed our galaxy."
Liz blinked. "You [I]knew[/I] him? Before I mean?" She felt her heart leap with joy for Max. All the answers they had been chasing after for months were suddenly right at her fingertips. But the expression on Will's face quickly reminded her that he [I]hated[/I] Max. There was no way of knowing if he was telling the truth.
"Certainly," Will replied. "We were never close friends, but we did communicate regularly, especially after we both took our respective thrones."
"Why were you allied with a tyrant?" Liz asked logically.
"Tradition. Antar has always held the high kingship of the system." Will shook his head. "The kings and queens of Antar have always ruled fairly and wisely. It was only when Zan took the throne that things changed."
"Changed how?"
"He wanted more power. He tried to depose the rulers of the four other planets, hoping to set up puppets in their place. Basically he intended to change the whole status quo. He wanted control of my planet - Sardica - in particular. Sardica is the centre of commerce for the system. Zan didn't like that. He always felt that it should be Antar and, if it couldn't be, then he wanted Sardica more closely under his thumb." Will straightened his spine. "The kings of Sardica have always been their own rulers though. We resisted the controls he tried to impose."
"So you rebelled?"
"Yes. Another planet - yours - joined us. It made sense of course. We were already allied through our marriage. Zan destroyed Valonia, your home, and made his move on Sardica. We managed to repel them for several months, but, in the end, we had to surrender."
"Why?"
"Because he captured you," Will's voice cracked. "You went up to his ship to parlay for peace and he broke all the codes of warfare that have governed our galaxy since the beginning of time. He held you captive and I was forced to hand over the government of Sardica."
Liz swallowed. The bleakness in his tone made her pity him, despite herself. "Why are you so positive that I'm who you say I am?" She asked, shaking her head firmly to erase her sympathy for him. "I'm telling you, I have [I]always[/I] been Liz Parker. I was [I]born[/I] Liz Parker. My parents even have pictures from the delivery room."
"You [I]are[/I] Rowena," Will replied firmly. "My cousin has the gift of reading essences. It is a vital power - one that we have used many times to identify our enemies. He read yours in the imprint you left in Copper Summit when you were there with Zan. I don't know how to explain how you ended up with the Parkers. You were obviously removed from your pod early for some reason I don't understand."
Liz stared at him, disbelieving, but willing to humor him for the moment. "You came out of a pod too?"
"Yes. Kate and I are hybrids - half-human, half-Sardican."
"And you think I am as well," Liz finished for him when he trailed off.
"Yes. Well, half-human, half-Valonian. " He paused. "Do you think I can ask you some of [I]my[/I] questions now?"
Liz frowned. "No, I'm not done." Will looked amused again, which only irritated her. She thought for a moment. "How did this whole podding thing come about in the first place?"
Will sighed. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say, we won. Zan died but his mother refused to accept that his reign of terror was over so she cloned him, intending that he would be podded until maturity and that he would one day retake the Antarian throne. She combined his DNA with that of some human samples they had in their possession and sent him to Earth to keep him a secret."
"But why are [I]you[/I] here?" Liz asked. "If you won, why didn't you stay and rule."
"I had well placed spies," Will said. "One of them contacted me and we sent in a team to retrieve the pods and to stop the plot." He closed his eyes. "We were too late though. And it was much worse than we could have imagined. She hadn't only cloned Zan. She had also cloned his sister Vilandra, Zan's wife and Vilandra's husband as well."
"Isabel, Michael and Tess?" Liz felt her heart drop at the confirmation that Max had indeed been married to Tess in his past life. She wondered why it [I]still[/I] hurt so much. She had known it for months now and, yet, she could not accept it.
"Yes, those are their names, according to Nicholas."
Liz started. "[I]Nicholas![/I] What does [I]he[/I] have to do with any of this?"
Will looked startled. "Oh, I thought you knew. Nicholas works for me."
She stumbled to her feet, away from him. "What? He tried to kill Isabel! He ordered all those Skins to hurt Max!"
"They are his enemies Liz," Will replied mildly. "He was only doing it to protect my people."
"The Skins are [I]your[/I] people?" Liz gasped, horrified. "They're horrible! Murderers! They killed Nasedo!"
"Who's Nasedo?" Will asked, confused.
"He's their protector. He was the only one who could help them to find out who they are!" Liz exclaimed. "A Skin disguised herself as a congresswoman and she killed him."
"Wait a minute." Will held up his hands. "What do you mean he was the only one who could help them find out who they are?" He stared at her. "Are you trying to tell me that they don't know?"
"They know they're aliens, but they have no idea about all this past life stuff. I swear it. Whoever you think Max and the others were in their past lives, whatever they did, they can't be held responsible for it now! They don't remember," Liz insisted.
Will looked stunned. "How is this possible?" He muttered, clearly confused. "Are you sure? How do you know this?"
Liz wilted slightly as she thought about all she and Max had shared through the flashes that were unique to their relationship. She knew everything about him because of those flashes. It was one of the reasons it was so hard to let him go. She truly knew how wonderful he was and also knew that she would never find anyone like him again. "We've connected," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I've seen his soul and it's beautiful. He's not evil. He could never [I]be[/I] evil."
"Then you must believe me! About who you are Liz! If you've managed a connection with Zan, you must understand that you aren't completely human." Will sounded excited. "That is your gift you know - the ability to see people clearly - to judge them by connecting with them."
Liz shook her head. "You don't understand Will. My ability to connect with Max has nothing to do with alien DNA. I could never do it before."
"Before what?"
"Before he saved my life," Liz told him quietly. "If it wasn't for Max Evans I would have died more than a year ago."
Will stared at her in shock. "[I]What?[/I] Oh my God! Ro!" He moved towards her, grasped her by the upper arms. "Are you trying to tell me that I almost lost you before I even found you?"
Liz flinched away from him. "Don't call me that! I am [I]not[/I] this Rowena. My name is Liz Parker and the only reason I have any sort of alien power at all is because of Max Evans. Don't you understand? I love him! And he has loves me - or at least he used to. He loved me for his entire life! If I was his enemy, how could that even be possible? He has always been with Isabel, but he recognized Michael and Tess almost immediately upon knowing them. If I was an alien too, wouldn't he have known?"
"How could he have known the others if he doesn't remember anything?" Will asked, ignoring the main part of her speech, which annoyed Liz. But as his words penetrated her irritation, she realized what she had just said.
[I]Max Evans had loved her for his entire life.[/I]
She blinked. "He just [I]did[/I]," she murmured. Her mind was whirling, memories of the first connection she had ever made with Max flying through her head. She remembered how special and beautiful she had felt because that's how [I]he[/I] had seen her. But she also remembered how Max had [I]loved[/I] her from the moment he had laid eyes on her as a little boy on that playground. She had been unaware of him, but in that connection she had [I]felt[/I] how he had felt on that day.
He hadn't just [I]loved[/I] her. He had [I]recognized[/I] her. The realization slammed into her, making her knees weak. She stumbled to a chair in the corner of the room, collapsed into it, staring at Will.
"Oh my God."
"Liz, what?" Will was crouching in front of her, worry in his blue eyes. "What's wrong?"
"He [I]knew[/I] me," Liz whispered. "And he got it all mixed up. He was only a little boy. Of course he wouldn't have any idea that he was supposed to hate me."
"Liz! Please!"
Liz swallowed, her heart pounding in disbelief. As she looked at Will, she narrowed her eyes, tried to [I]remember[/I] him. She tried to remember [I]anything[/I]. She tried but all she encountered were all the memories she had always had - of growing up in Roswell, of discovering that aliens were real, of falling in love with Max Evans, of giving him up and breaking her own heart in the process. She only had memories of [I]being[/I] Liz Parker.
Yet, as she stared at Will, she [I]knew[/I] it with every part of her being. She knew that he was telling her the truth.
She was not human. And, in that moment, Liz could think of only one thing to do. She screamed.
************************************************************
Kate nearly jumped out her skin when she heard movement behind her. She had been sitting on the end of the bed, staring off into space, wondering how they had ended up in such a mess when Alex Whitman's voice penetrated her thoughts. "Where am I?" His throat sounded scratchy, like he needed a glass of water. She jumped to her feet and poured him one from the bottle sitting near the television.
Rowena's friend had been unconscious for so long, Kate had been extremely worried. The last thing they wanted to do was to hurt innocent bystanders. That was more Zan's style and they had always done everything in their power to make sure they were nothing like Zan. Kate wasn't even sure why she had brought the tall, dark-haired boy with them when she had teleported Liz and Will out of the school. She could have easily left him behind after all. There had been no [I]need[/I] to bring him.
As she handed him the glass of water, she watched him take a sip, wondered how he was going to react when he realized what had happened to him. She and Will had discussed the matter at length after they had brought Liz and Alex to the motel on the highway leading out of Roswell. They weren't sure how much Alex knew. Will had called Nicholas to find out if he had been in Copper Summit. As far as their general recalled, he hadn't. But, according to Will, it was also clear that Alex Whitman was one of Liz's closest friends. It seemed unlikely that he didn't at least know [I]something[/I] about Zan and the others.
In the end, they had decided to keep him with them, if only to make sure Zan stayed away. Alex might lead their enemy right to them. Will had also thought that it might make Rowena feel more secure to have someone she trusted around. Kate had pressed her lips together. All Will cared about at the moment was Rowena and [I]her[/I] feelings. He didn't seem to have grasped at all that they had come face to face with Zan and Vilandra and that they had [I]won[/I]. Even though Zan had a complete four square, he had not been able to stop them from taking Rowena.
Kate didn't understand it at all. It made no sense to her. Did they not know how powerful they were? She could not remember a single time that Zan had ever been on the [I]defensive[/I]. Even when he had died, he had been on the attack. But that's what had happened this time. Zan had barely managed to protect himself and Vilandra from Will's assault. He had had no chance of saving Rowena. What could it possibly mean?
Kate continued to eye Alex. Could he tell her more about the four they had come to Roswell to defeat once and for all? Was he loyal to them? Did he even [I]know[/I] about the existence of aliens?
Well, if he hadn't known before, he certainly knew something now, she reflected wryly. She remembered the way he had offered to help her that morning, not even knowing her or what was upsetting her. As she stared at him now, she could see that he did not look frightened at all - merely resigned.
"Are you feeling okay?" She asked tentatively, not sure what to say to him.
"I could use a little of Max's healing touch," Alex replied. At the confused look Kate was sure crossed her face, he added, "I have a headache." So he knew Zan was a healer, which meant he likely [I]did[/I] know all about the others. "And I'm worried about Liz. Is she okay?"
"She's fine. She's with Will." Kate grimaced. "He's telling her the truth."
"What is the truth?" Alex asked quietly. "Who are you? I know you're aliens."
Kate's eyes widened that he stated it so bluntly. "You don't seem shocked."
"I've been caught in the alien abyss for too long to be shocked by anything anymore," Alex said wryly. "I'm not even scared, which I know is stupid. I've just come to accept that this is what my life is going to be like from now on. No control - ever." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "You're not going to kill me, are you?"
"NO!" Kate exclaimed, horrified. "We don't do that!"
"You were trying to kill Max and Isabel," Alex reminded her. "Why should I doubt that you would do the same to me?"
"Zan is evil!" Kate replied heatedly. "He deserves to be killed. And Vi has obviously lost whatever courage she once had. She isn't defying him any longer."
Alex's eyes flashed, uncomprehending for a moment. "You mean Max and Isabel? Those are their real names, aren't they?" He paused and then his face whitened. "Are they dead? Did you kill them?"
"No. We should have," Kate muttered. "We had the upper hand. But Will wanted to get Liz out of there." She started, realized that she had said more than she had meant to. Why did she feel it was so easy to open up to this boy? He was listening quietly. She could almost see his mind at work. She pressed her lips together, determined that she would say no more.
Alex closed his eyes wearily. "Why? What does he want with Liz? Is he trying to torture Max? Is that it?" He opened his eyes and looked directly at her. "Because it won't work. They're not together anymore."
Kate could tell he was lying. He did not do it gracefully. His cheeks were turning a charming shade of red and she could see a nervous pulse beating through the vein on his neck. Zan would obviously care that Rowena had been taken. In fact, it sounded like they had been a couple. She couldn't believe Zan's gall. He had seduced Rowena without even telling her who she really was! It was even more despicable than what he had done in his past life. At least then he had only killed her. This time he was using her first.
"They were together?" Kate asked, wanting confirmation that any honour she had, perhaps, in her weaker moments, thought Zan still possessed was non- existent.
Alex snorted. "Oh yeah." He rolled his eyes. "As my friend Maria would say, they had the whole "staring into your eyes soul mate thing" going on." He paused, grimacing. "Not that they do [I]anymore[/I]," he continued hastily. "Like I said, they broke up. So you can just let Liz and I go." He stood up slowly. "Because, really, I just think this is all a big mistake."
Kate pressed her hands together. This boy - he truly did not seem to know what Zan and the others were really like. He was their [I]friend[/I]. How could she just let him go without telling him the truth, without warning him that any association with the Royal Four would just end in disaster?
"Alex, how did you find out about Zan and the others?" She asked bluntly. He turned to look at her, his eyes unreadable.
"Why do you think they're evil?" He asked back. "Because they're not. They're my friends." He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't think [I]you're[/I] evil either. Shouldn't you guys be working together?"
"Work with Zan! You must be crazy!" Kate exclaimed. She paused when he just looked at her, frowning. "Why don't you think I'm evil?''
"I'm a good judge of character," Alex replied. He paused. "Plus you're not leaving pieces of your skin all over the place," he added, "Which means you're not a Skin."
Kate's eyes widened. "What do you know about the Skins?" She asked. She felt a lump entering her throat at the thought of her poor people. Her poor people who were dying slowly but surely, the Earth's atmosphere killing them because they couldn't go home.
"They're killers," Alex said evenly. "They killed Nasedo and one of them almost killed Tess and Isabel."
"Nasedo?"
"Their protector - a shapeshifter." Alex offered.
Kate sighed. "So it is true then. The Wendarians did join with Zan." She shook her head. "We were never sure." She frowned. "I wonder why Nicholas didn't tell us this."
"Huh?"
"The Wendarians," Kate explained. "They are the shapeshifters in our galaxy. They are from Wendar. Just as I am from Sardica and your [I]friends[/I],"she couldn't keep the disdain from her voice, "Are from Antar." She paused. "Well, not Rath. He's from Valonia, but he has always pretended to be Antarian. Ever since he married Vi."
"Ooookay." Alex let out a long breath, stood up and started to pace. "You know, I think I'm starting to panic now. I [I]knew[/I] I was way too calm before." Kate watched him in amazement as he began to melt down right in front of her. "I think I was in shock." He was muttering to himself, clearly looking for an explanation. She blinked when he stopped pacing his erratic movements abruptly and stared right at her. "You really do hate my friends, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"They are evil."
Alex grimaced. "I'm telling you. They're not. I know them. They don't even [I]know[/I] who they are! You just gave me more information than they've managed to uncover in ten years!"
Kate stared at him. "What are you saying? You're trying to tell me that they don't remember?" She snorted. "Right. Then why is Zan using Rowena if he doesn't know? He would have no reason to pretend to love her if he didn't know who she was."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Alex demanded, staring openly at her. "Who is Rowena?"
A piercing scream interrupted Kate before she could tell him. She watched Alex's eyes widen. "Liz!" He turned on his heel and bolted for the door before Kate could stop him.
By the time she caught up with him, he was already pounding on the door to the room across the hall - the room where Will was talking to Liz. "Let me in dammit! Liz!"
The door flew open suddenly and Kate watched in astonishment as Liz threw herself at her friend. "Alex! We need to get out of here. I'm telling you. We [I]need[/I] to."
Alex rubbed her back in comfort but glared over her dark head at Will. "What did you do to her? I thought you didn't hurt people?" He looked back at Kate accusingly. "Isn't that what you said?"
"You told her then?" Kate asked Will wryly.
Will sighed. "She didn't believe me right away but then I think she remembered something." He was upset, that was clear, but Kate thought it was more because he didn't know how to calm Liz down than because of [I]why[/I] she was upset.
"What did you tell her?" Alex demanded. Liz had gone completely silent by now. Kate stared at her as she clutched at Alex's shirt as though trying to crawl into his skin. It was beyond disturbing. "It's okay Liz! I'm here." He paused, glared at both Will and Kate in turn. "You know what? Forget it! I don't care. You can take your damn alien feud and shove it. I'm getting Liz out of her."
Kate was beyond surprised when Will allowed Alex to take Liz by the hand and lead her away.
"They're going to go straight to Zan," Kate told him. "We should go after them."
Will narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so." He pressed his lips together.
"Will, this is a [I]bad[/I] idea."
"Give her time." And with that, her brother re-entered his room and slammed the door in Kate's face.
To be continued.